Record Details

Title The Iceland Plateau – Jan Mayen Volcanic Breakup Margin: an Analogue for Axial Rift and Transfer Zones Onshore North Iceland
Authors Anett BLISCHKE, Ögmundur ERLENDSSON, Bryndís BRANDSDÓTTIR, Ásta Rut HJARTARDÓTTIR and Bjarni GAUTASON
Year 2020
Conference World Geothermal Congress
Keywords Jan Mayen, Iceland Plateau, igneous complexes, dyke and sill intrusives, vent structures
Abstract Structural-, volcano-stratigraphic-, and igneous-province-mapping is a fundamental prerequisite for resource modelling and management, such as geothermal exploration or mining. Our tectonic-kinematic model of the Jan Mayen region was constructed utilizing gravity- and magnetic anomalies, multibeam bathymetric data, seismic reflection, and refraction data, borehole and seafloor samples. The Jan Mayen igneous complexes and the Iceland plateau rift portray the complexity of long-lived volcanic margins within an unstable rift-transfer tectonic setting from Eocene to Miocene times. Both regions are characterized by rift basins, en-echelon volcanic ridges, sill and dyke intrusive structures, and geothermal fluid venting structures such as chimneys, cutting through pre-existing crustal and sediment sections, commonly along re-activated fault planes. Using a dense seismic reflection dataset provides a unique opportunity to map intercalated igneous domains and rift zones of the Jan Mayen microcontinent in a three-dimensional space, enabling us to estimate the volcano-stratigraphic types, size, and extent of these rift and volcanic systems, as well as large-scale igneous features, such as deeper-seated intrusions, volcanic complexes, or rift valleys. The igneous Jan Mayen and Iceland Plateau regions represent a prime example of what is commonly referred to as Iceland type crust, i.e. the systematic build-up of thicker oceanic crust by rift-transfer processes, overlapping sub-aerial and sub-surface igneous activities in conjunction with localized microplates.
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